Will Dollar General be good for the neighborhood?

Bella Vistans living in and around the neighborhoods of Commonwealth and Euston Roads on the east side of the city apparently don’t want a Dollar General Store in their backyard.

But don’t take my word for it, just ask them. They’ll tell you, even when they can’t talk about it.

That’s what Bartlett Architecture, Cooper Communities, Inc., and Dollar General itself found out last week when about 50 citizens attended the work session of the Bella Vista Planning Commission at the District Court Building.

They attended in an effort to show their opposition even when they couldn’t actually voice their opposition.

Opportunities for public input are not part of the agenda of a work session. It’s not like a regular session when public hearings are held prior to a vote on a specific matter by the commission. During a public hearing individuals are allowed a certain amount of time to speak either for or against a matter. Work sessions also don’t allow opportunities for the commissioners to vote on any of the items listed on the agenda.

It’s the same for City Council meetings.

Work sessions are simply sessions used to address items and issues that will appear on the agenda of an upcoming regular session. It’s like a high school study session. No tests are actually given, but topics on the test are discussed in preparation for the time when the test is actually given.

That time, in this instance, is Monday, April 11, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the District Court Building.

Last week the residents were well represented. I’ve never seen as many concerned citizens at a work session of any board, council or commission. They had signs advocating against the rezoning request being sought by those hoping to land the Dollar General Store on the 1.63-acre parcel located in the heart of residential neighborhoods, the Metfield Clubhouse and Golf Complex, Dogwood and Brittany Golf Courses and a trailhead for the Razorback Greenway.

There’s a lot already going on in that area, but it’s pretty much limited to bikes, golfers on golf carts, children playing at Metfield Park and pedestrian traffic, not to mention non-tractor trailer traffic.

A Dollar General Store at that proposed location would create a splash, the ripples of which would not bode well for the neighborhood.

During the work session the commissioners heard from Bartlett Architecture’s Dan Bartlett, who requested two waivers for the project, one dealing with the distance between access drives near Commonwealth and Euston and another dealing with retaining wall setbacks near the same roads.

The actual rezoning request, which would change the zoning for that area from R-2 (Residential, Two-Family District) to PZD (Planned Zoning District) was submitted by Cooper Communities, Inc.

That’s the big one. Without it’s approval the two waiver requests are mute.

Now I’m actually a fan of Dollar General Stores. I’ve spent money in Dollar General Stores in just about every town I’ve lived in but, mind you, all were located in a retail portion of town and not a neighborhood.

Sometimes I go in to purchase something knowing full well that item’s price is a little higher than the local big box store. To me, getting in and out with as little hassle as possible counts for a lot, and I can do that at most Dollar General Stores.

Of course there are exceptions and I recently dodged a bullet (not literally) trying to make it through the store’s doors before closing time. The couple behind me weren’t as lucky. Even though it was five minutes before the scheduled time to close the employee at the

The citizens weren’t able to voice their opposition during the work session, but they certainly made it known how they feel about the store’s presence in their neighborhood.

door turned them away.

But that’s more of a bad-customer-service issue with that employee than the store.

Yes, hassle-free shopping is big with me.

I mean, they carry Diet Dr. Peppers, so at some point they’re going to get my business.

But the transactions don’t need to be happening on the 1.63-tract at the neighborhood intersection of Commonwealth and Euston.

Some of the ripples from a proposed Dollar General splash in that neighborhood that were talked about at the work session — and really caught my attention — dealt with the semis that would be making deliveries through the neighborhoods to the store on a regular basis.

Sure, the streets on those routes would suffer under the load of the 18-wheelers, but so may the residents as big tractor trailers attempt to navigate the Bella Vista hills and curves.

Bartlett wasn’t sure which routes would be used, which I think would be a nice piece of information to pass along to city planners, information they could, in turn, pass along to the street department for future reference.

Which streets are going to get the most tractor trailer traffic?

But one of the most glaring points was that those pursuing the rezoning request hadn’t been in contact with the people who would be their new neighbors if the store were to get the green light.

At least two commissioners said they had received emails from concerned citizens stating they’d not had any communication from Bartlett Architecture, Cooper Communities, Inc., or Dollar General Store reps.

I’m all in favor of new business coming to town, but I’m also in favor of being a good neighbor.

It sounds like a lot of the emphasis is being placed on getting waivers and rezoning requests and none on taking time to discuss the proposal with the neighbors.

And that, to me, is a big reason why a Dollar General Store isn’t a good fit in this particular neighborhood.

The citizens weren’t able to voice their opposition during the work session, but they certainly made it known how they feel about the store’s presence in their neighborhood.

And while the commissioners weren’t able to vote on the rezoning request during the same session, it certainly seems like they heard enough to follow the residents’ lead when the actual votes takes place on April 11.